2nd Sunday of the Year (C)
2nd Sunday after Epiphany
On Saturday 25th January ends the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity.
ST THOMAS AQUINAS STUDY GROUP
The St Thomas Aquinas Study Group with Mr Dominic Sullivan will start again on Wednesday 22nd January at 7.30pm. The classes will be held in St Joseph’s Hall every fortnight after that date. The group will study the moral aspects of the passion. For enquiries, please email generalenquiries@bromptonoratory.co.uk.
SCRIPTURE GROUP RELAUNCH
The Oratory Scripture Group, which was run for many years by the late Fr Charles Dilke, will be relaunched under the guidance of Fr Michael Lang. The group will meet weekly on Tuesdays from 8pm to 9pm in the Oratory House. The first meeting will be on 4th February. Following the recommendation of Pope Francis to take St Paul’s Letter to the Romans as our guide for the Jubilee Year 2025, we are going to study this important but difficult text. The preferred translation is the English Standard Version, which is now used for the Mass Lectionary in England and Wales, but other translations are welcome, as they provide an opportunity to compare versions with the original Greek. It will also be useful to bring an annotated edition or commentary. The Church Father St Jerome said: “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ”. So come and join the relaunched Scripture Group!
The next meeting of the Confraternity of the Precious Blood will be on Sunday 9th February.
ORATORY SCOUT GROUP
Our Scouts Group has moved under the umbrella of the Catholic Scouts of Europe and is now ready to accept new applications for boys from School Years 3 to 6 (Cubs), Y7 to Y11 (Scouts) and girls between Y3 to Y6 (Guides Cubs), Y7 to Y11 (Guides). Email oratoryscoutgroup@bromptonoratory.co.uk.
THE MESSY FAMILY PROJECT DAY RETREAT
On Saturday 8th March, Mike and Alicia Hernon of The Messy Family Project will lead a retreat for married couples who have children in the home, on the topic of “The Four Disciplines of a Family”. The retreat will take place in St Wilfrid’s Hall, 10am–4.30pm. The fee is £50 per couple and booking is essential. For more information, see https://messyfamilyproject.org/uk-tour-2025/. To book, see https://buytickets.at/bromptonoratory/1523214. For any enquiries, email oratory.mfp@gmail.com.
MARY’S MEALS: COLLECTION OF FOREIGN CURRENCY
Mary’s Meals is inviting you to a collection of your foreign currency (no matter how old or obscure). Special Mary’s Meals envelopes are available at the back of church for your foreign coins and notes. Please return these envelopes to the Oratory House. Currently the charity feeds over 2.4 million young children one good meal every day in their place of education – by giving Mary’s Meals your foreign currency you can help feed the next hungry child.
JUBILEE YEAR INDULGENCES
The Diocese of Westminster has produced a guide how to obtain the plenary indulgence for the Jubilee Year, without the need to travel to Rome or other pilgrimage centres around the world. The guide is available as https://rcdow.org.uk/jubilee-2025/the-jubilee-indulgence-step-by-step/.
ANNUAL MASS FOR MATRIMONY
The annual Mass for Matrimony will be celebrated in Westminster Cathedral by our Cardinal on Saturday 17th May at 2.30pm for couples celebrating significant wedding anniversaries such as 5th, 10th, 25th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th and 60+. Full information will soon follow.
DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES
The annual diocesan pilgrimage to Lourdes led by Cardinal Nichols will take place from 25th July to 1st August For more information go to https://rcdow.org.uk/pilgrimages/lourdes/ or contact Elizabeth Uwalaka in the Pilgrimage Office at elizabethuwalaka@rcdow.org.uk or phone 020 7798 9173.
CATHOLIC NETWORKING DINNER
Catholic professionals are warmly invited to a distinguished networking dinner at the East India Club on Monday 10th February, starting at 6.30pm. The evening features speeches from the Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Westminster and Bishop David Waller of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, offering valuable perspectives on leadership in civic and ecclesiastical life. Hosted by the London Charterhouse Catenians, the event includes a three-course meal, wine, coffee, and mints. Cost: £75. Please email dining@catenians.org.uk to reserve your place.
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES FOR MEN
Five-day Ignatian retreats for men only conducted in English by the Fathers of Abbaye Saint-Joseph de Clairval in Flavigny (France): Sunday 30th March to Friday 4th April in Stonyhurst, Lancashire, Sunday 13th to Friday 18th July in Creeslough, Co. Donegal, Ireland, and Tuesday 22nd to Sunday 27th July in Kilsheelan, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. For more information and how to book, see https://www.clairval.com/en/spiritual-retreats/retreats/.
DIVINE ENCOUNTERS: INDIGENOUS MEETS BAROQUE
On Wednesday 26th February at 7.00pm, the ensemble El Parnaso Hyspano (which gave two very successful concerts in the Little Oratory) will perform at St Mary Moorfields, 4–5 Eldon Street, EC2M 7LS the Indigenous baroque opera San Francisco Xavier (composed by an Indigenous musician in the Jesuit missions and sung in the Chiquitano language). This will be accompanied by the world premiere of a cantata from the same period. The concert will last for approximately one hour, without interval, and will be followed by a wine reception. Click here for more information and how to purchase tickets.
SCRIPTURE RETREAT ON THE BOOK OF TOBIT
Fr Thomas Crean OP will lead a Scripture retreat at St Joseph's Centre in Ashurst in the New Forest from Friday 7th to Sundy 9th March. The cost of the weekend, include full board, will be £200. The subject will be “The Book of Tobit”. If you are interested, please contact him for further details on thomas.crean@english.op.org.
ONLINE COURSE: THE GEOMETRY OF COSMATESQUE ORNAMENT
Cosmatesque ornament is a type of inlay stonework used to decorate medieval churches in Rome and in its vicinity. Elaborate patterns on floors, columns and immovable church furnishings were made from coloured stone or glass cut into small geometric shapes. A notable example outside of Italy is the marble floor of Westminster Abbey. Cosmatesque ornament is a beautiful, if less known, ingredient of the artistic heritage of the Church, a Catholic geometric art. During this online course organised by the King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts from 5th March to 9th April 2025 students will learn about the different components of a Cosmatesque pavement and will acquire skills necessary to analyse and draw the various parts and their infilling patterns with the use of a compass and ruler. All levels of ability and experience in geometric drawing are welcome. For further information and to book, click here.
MARIAN APOSTLES GROUP PILGRIMAGE TO FRANCE
The Marian Apostles group is organising a pilgrimage to France from Friday 9th to Saturday 24th May 2025 with Tangney Tours. The pilgrimage will be led by Fr Thomas Crean, OP with the Marian Franciscans Sisters. The theme of the pilgrimage is: “Persevering to the end: the need for private and public prayer”. Visits include Marian shrines, Paray-le-Monial, Tours, Mont Saint-Michel, and more. Further information and booking forms from Tangney Tours. You can also contact Annabelle at 07733 223 903.
HELPING THE HOMELESS AND NEEDY IN OUR AREA
In the winter months, HTB (Holy Trinity Brompton) will run a sleep-in night shelter in partnership with Glassdoor to assist those who are homeless or in dire need at St Augustine's Church, 117 Queen's Gate, SW7 5LP, every Wednesday evening. They will provide a hot meal service (3pm–9pm) for their guests and need volunteers to help in the kitchen – preparing, cooking, and washing dishes, as well as serving food.
If you are willing to spare some time and help with this service (no one needs to stay the whole time – any availability is welcome, e.g. 7pm–9pm or 3pm–5pm), please email HTB (mentioning that you heard about this from the Oratory) at shelter@htb.org.
They are also running their Love Christmas Campaign this year, aiming to offer 400 Christmas gifts for each homeless guest we serve, for those living on the streets, and for the women-only shelter provided by Glassdoor. If you would like to help with this program or purchase a gift for their guests, please click on this Amazon Wishlist link.
CHILDREN’S AREA
St Gregory’s Library will remain open on Sunday mornings for parents whose children become restless during Mass. During redecoration of the Sacred Heart Chapel, entrance will be from the Church porch. Children must be supervised by their parents at all times. We need more volunteers for the 10am Mass. If you can spare a few hours on a Sunday occasionally to help, please contact David Campbell (phone 07768 176 848).
MASS INTENTIONS
CONTACTLESS GIVING AVAILABLE
Click here for more information.
You can still make a donation via Stripe (see here) or make a bank transfer. Our account details are:
Account Name: The Oratory
Sort Code: 60 04 04
Account Number: 18192947
Please add your surname and first name as a reference, to help our bursar.
The Oratory very much depends on your contributions, and we thank you in advance for your generosity.
GIFT AID – HELPING THE ORATORY
If you are a UK taxpayer, the Oratory can claim back from the Inland Revenue 25p of every £1 you give, at no cost or inconvenience to you. Setting up a Gift Aid arrangement helps the Oratory to increase its income (click here for the forms).
PRIEST REFERENCE FOR SCHOOL APPLICATIONS
Parents who wish one of the Oratory Fathers to give their child a school reference must register with the “Mass Attendance” scheme. Registration forms are available from the Oratory House.
UNABLE TO GET TO MASS ON SUNDAYS?
The Oratory runs a bus service staffed by volunteers to help the elderly and/or incapacitated attending the 11am Mass each Sunday. The minibus has a lift for wheelchairs and volunteers help passengers go to Holy Communion if required. The service is available to parishioners and those who live in the Fulham and Earl’s Court areas. Please email generalenquiries@bromptonoratory.co.uk or telephone 020 7808 0900 if you are interested in making use of this service, or if you would like to volunteer as a driver or helper.
PSYCHOTHERAPY AND LIFE COACHING
Wilfrid’s House is a BACP-accredited, registered charity based at the Oratory and committed to helping people cope with life’s challenges`. Through low-cost counselling and psychotherapy, they support individuals who are going through challenges such as anxiety, depression, inability to cope with daily life, relationship issues, and bereavement. Through low-cost life coaching, they support individuals who are feeling overwhelmed and unable to move forward with purpose. Whether you are struggling with change, big decisions or simply day-to-day life, coaching offers emotional and practical support, enabling clarity and structure and helping you achieve your goals. Further information at www.wilfridshouse.org.
For job vacancies in the Diocese of Westminster, see https://jobs.rcdow.org.uk/.
INFORMATION FOR MARRIAGE
If you would like to be married at the Oratory, we will need at least 6 months notice. For the initial enquiry please come to the Oratory House in person and ask to speak to the priest on duty (see Hours of Duty below). All subsequent meetings, bookings and arrangements will be done through him, so please make a note of his name! No wedding bookings will be taken over the telephone or by email.
If you do not normally worship at the Oratory, please state the name of the church where you usually attend Mass and give the reasons you wish to marry here (for instance, personal connection to the Oratory or one of our schools). It is important to approach the church first before making your plans for a reception venue. We do not have weddings on a Sunday.
There are various arrangements and legalities, both civil and ecclesiastical which need to be attended to. You will also need to undergo a course of preparatory instruction about the sacrament of marriage. Speak to the priest for more details.
Hours of Duty:
Monday-Saturday: 9.30am-12.00pm; 3.00pm-5.30pm.
INFORMATION FOR BAPTISM
According to canon law, “Parents are obliged to see that their infants are baptised within the first few weeks. As soon as possible after the birth, indeed even before it, they are to approach the parish priest to ask for the sacrament for their child, and to be themselves duly prepared for it” (Code of Canon Law, can. 867 §1).
Those wishing to have their child baptised should contact the Oratory House and ask to speak to the priest on duty. All subsequent meeting, bookings and arrangements will be done through him. It will be necessary to meet with the priest for a class on the sacrament of baptism.
Normally baptisms take place in the parish where a family is resident. If you do not live within the territorial boundaries of the Oratory parish but have a good reason for wanting to have your child baptised here, please explain that to the priest on duty. In such cases your own parish priest will need to give permission for the baptism to take place at the Oratory.
The choice of godparents (sponsors), who are to help the baptised to live a good Christian life and faithfully to fulfil the duties inherent in baptism, is an important one. “There is to be only one male sponsor or one female sponsor or one of each” (Code of Canon Law, can. 873). A godparent must be a Catholic of not less than sixteen years of age, who has been confirmed and who lives a life of faith that befits the role to be undertaken. A baptised person who belongs to a non-Catholic ecclesial community may be admitted in company with a Catholic sponsor as a Christian witness.